Self-contained air conditioning unit



Oct 5, 1954 c. D. GRAHAM 2,690,654

SELF-CONTAINED AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed July 25, 1952 4 Sheebs-Sheet l INVENTOR. Charles D. Graham.

A TTORNE Y5 Oct. 5, 1954 c. D. GRAHAM SELF-CONTAINED AIR CONDITIONING UNIT Filed July 26, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A /-4e 46 Ch I gvvgzvrgx.

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Oct. 5, 1954 c. D. GRAHAM 2,690,654

SELF-CONTAINED AIR CONDITIONING UNIT 5 I I. I4

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I INVENTOR. Charles D. Graham,

Patented Oct. 5, 1954 UNET'E' D SKATES ATEN QFF ECE Charles D. Graham, Oakwood, Ohio, assignor-to- General Motors Corporation, Dayton; Ohio; a

corporation of Delaware Application July 26., 1952, Serial No. 301,104.

11 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatusand more particularly to an improved selfcontained air conditioning unit for mounting in a basement, utility room or the like.

Due to the large variety of house designs it becomes a problem to provide a standard air conditioning unit which is adaptable for installation in the large number of different types of houses. With each different house design the relationship between the air conditioning equipment and the ducts leading to and from the space to be conditioned usually difiers. It is an object of this invention to provide a low cost air conditioning unit which lends itself to installation in these many different types of houses.

Another of the problems in designing an air conditioning unit for use in private homes and the like is that of making the unit sufiiciently compact to fit into small utility rooms or crowded quarters in basements, etc. It is an.- other object of this invention to provide a unit which. not only utilizes a minimum amount of floor space but which may be separated into two sections which individually may be carried through narrow doorways, halls, stairways, etc, and then quickly reassembled.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide an air conditioning unit wherein the return air duct may be connected to either the back, front or top of the unit without making any alterations in the arrangement of the refrigeration system.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an air conditioning unit having a plurality of interchangeable panels on the back, front and top thereof, one of which panels has a return air inlet opening which serves to introduce the air to be conditioned into the main air conditioning, chamber.

Another object of this. invention is to provide an air conditioning unit in which all portions of the refrigeration system are readily accessible for repair or inspection purposes merely by removing one or more side panels.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air conditioning unit having several detachable sections so arranged that it is not necessary to disconnect any of the refrigerant lines when disconnecting;v the sections.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present inventionv is: clearly shown.

Inthe-drawings:

Figure 1- is" a pictorial view showing a preferred embodiment of'the invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing portions of the front and'side panels broken away soas to show the" arrangement of the refrigeration equipment within the. main housing;-

Figure 3 is a pictorial View with parts broken away looking towards one of the rear corners of the unit;

Figure 4 is an end elevational View, with parts broken away showing the refrigeration section of the unit;

Figure 5- is a side elevational view with parts broken away showing; the blowersection of the unit; and

Figures 6 through Q-are; end elevational views showing various possible air duct arrangements.

Referring now to the drawings-wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, referencenunieral' H! generally designates a first section or unit whichis adapted to be set directly on the floor and a second section or unit 12 which isremovably secured to the upper rear side of the first unit 10. The first unit III, as best shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, consists of a main frame It whichserves to support a complete refrigeration systemincluding a sealed motor-compressor unit IS, an evaporator l8 and a watercooled condenser 20. This is a standard refrigeration system having the conventional refrigerant connections I9 between the compressor, evaporator and condenser and having conventional controls. Since the details of the refrigeration. system and the controls may be varied, these will not. be described infurther detail.

The second; unit It consists. of a housing 22' in which there ismounted a blower 24 and a blower operating motor 26;. As best shown in Figure 5 of the drawing, thehousing 22 is provided with means for removably attaching the same tothe frame l4". Thus, a. hook or clip element 2]- is provided: adiacentthe lower edge of'the housing 22 for'hooking it onto a portion of the frame l4 and one or: more fastening bolts 28.; are provided v adjacent. thev upper. edge. of the housing 22 for bolting; it; to. the upper. portion of the frame M. The one.- side of the housing 2:2: which faces the section In is open so as to provide direct. com:- munication between-v the inlet of; theblower and the one side of the evaporator [8. Dust, means 3.0 isprovided. at. the outlet of the; blower 2:2; for discharging: the conditioned air upwardly from the unit 12..

The unit H} is provided with side panels 40 which are attached to the opposite sides of the frame [4. In order to make it possible to connect the return air duct at any one of several locations, the unit I is provided with a plurality of interchangeable panels 42, 44, 46 and 48. The one panel 46 is provided with an air filtering extension 50 which connects to the return air duct or an air handling duct system (not shown) which is usually built into the house. By virtue of the location of the evaporator 18 on the frame I4, it is obvious that the panel 46 may be interchanged with any one of the panels 42, 44 and 48 without reducing the efiiciency of the equipment. The condenser cooling water pipes 54 and the condensate drain pipe 52 all enter the cabinet l0 adjacent the one lower side so as not to interfere with the air duct connections.

Figures 6 through 9 illustrate the various possible duct arrangements which may be used. In each of these figures, arrows have been used to designate the path of the air flowing through the unit. By making the panels 42, 44, 45 and d8 of the same general shape and size, it is a simple matter to connect the apparatus to many different types of duct systems. Another advantage of making these panels all the same shape and size is that it saves on the tooling required for the manufacture of the apparatus and eliminates the need for keeping a supply of several different size panels such as is necessary when using cabinets in which several different size panels are used.

It will be noted that the relatively heavy motorcompressor unit l6 and the water cooled condenser 20 are mounted in the bottom of the refrigeration compartment so as to lend stability to the assembly and that a condensate collecting pan is provided directly beneath the evaporator l8 and directly above the motor-compressor unit 16 whereby some of the heat from the compressor unit is absorbed by the condensate water before it leaves through the drain 52.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred 1 form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An air conditioner comprising in combination two separate units for assembly with one another, the first of said units comprising a supporting frame, a volatile refrigerant system including an evaporator supported on said frame, and cabinet means including a plurality of panel means enclosing said frame, said panel means including removable and interchangeable sections, one of said sections having an air inlet connection formed therein, the second of said units comprising a blower and a blower housing, and means for removably securing said housing to one side of said supporting frame above the midpoint thereof, said blower housing having an air inlet opening on one side and an air outlet arranged to direct the conditioned air upwardly, said air inlet opening communicating with said first unit, said evaporator being disposed adjacent said air inlet opening whereby said blower unit pulls air to be conditioned through said evaporator.

2. An air conditioner comprising in combination two separate units for assembly with one another, the first of said units comprising a supporting frame, a volatile refrigerant system including an evaporator supported on said frame adjacent the upper rear portion of said first unit, and a plurality of panel means enclosing said frame, said panel means including removable and interchangeable sections, one of said sections having an air inlet passage formed therein, a filter supported by said last named section for filtering the incoming air, the second of said units comprising a blower and a blower housing, said blower housing having an air inlet opening in its one side and an air outlet opening in its top, and means for securing said second unit to one side of said first unit with one of said openings communicating with said first unit adjacent said upper rear portion of said first unit, at least one of said removable and interchangeable sections being disposed in a horizontal plane, and another of said sections being disposed in a vertical plane whereby that section having the air passage formed therein may be selectively disposed either in a horizontal or a vertical plane.

3. An air conditioner comprising in combination two separate units for assembly with one another, the first of said units comprising a supporting frame, a vole ile refri erant system in cluding an evaporator supported on said frame, and a plurality of panel means enclosing said frame, said panel means including removable and int rchangeable sections, one of said sections having an air inlet passage formed therein, the second of said units comprising a blower and a blower housing, said blower housing having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, and means for securing said second unit to one side of said first unit with one of said openings cornmunicating with said first unit, at least one of said removable and interchangeable sections being disposed in a horizontal plane, and another of said sections being disposed in a vertical plane whereby that section having the air passage formed therein may be selectively disposed either in a horizontal or a vertical plane.

4. An air conditioner comprising in combination, two separate units capable of assembly with one another, the first of said units comprising a main supporting frame, a volatile refrigerant system including an evaporator supported on said frame adjacent the port-ion thereof, and a plurality of panel means enclosing said frame, said panel means including a first pair of removable panels =ed in vertical alignment adjacent the front said frame, a third removable r-anel horiiontally disposed above said frame and a fourth removable panel adjacent the lower rear portion of said frame, said removable panels being interchangeable, one of said removable panels having an air passage formed therein through which air to be circulated in thermal exchange with said evaporator may pass, the second of said units comprising a blower and a blower housing, and means for securing said second unit to the upper rear side 0 said first unit, said second unit having inlet and outlet openings, one of said openings communicating with said first unit, said evaporator being disposed adjacent said one opening.

5. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having means forming a refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment, said blower compartment having an air inlet on its one side in direct communication with said refrigeration compartment and an air outlet at its top side, and a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment adjacent said air inlet, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said cabinet.

6. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having means forming a refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment, said blower compartment having an air inlet on its one side in direct communication with said refrigeration compartment and an air outlet at its top side, and a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment adjacent said air inlet, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said cabinet, one of said interchangeable panels being disposed on the top side of said cabinet.

7. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having a relatively high and narrow refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment projecting from the upper rear side of said refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment adjacent said blower compartment, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said refrigeration compartment, said blower compartment having an air outlet adjacent its top for directing air to be conditioned upwardly, and a blower and blower motor assembly in said blower compartment.

8. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having a relatively high and narrow refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment projecting from the upper rear side of said refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment adjacent said blower compartment, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said refrigeration compartment, said blower compartment having an air outlet adjacent its top for directing air to be conditioned upwardly, and a blower and blower motor assembly in said blower compartment, said refrigerating system including a motor-compressor unit and a condenser disposed in the lower portion of said refrigeration compartment.

9. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having a refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment in direct communication with the rear side of said refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment, a blower in said blower compartment, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said cabinet, said blower compartment having an air outlet adjacent its top for directing air to be conditioned upwardly, one of said panels being disposed adjacent the lower rear side of said cabinet whereby air may be introduced into said cabinet at a point below said blower compartment, said evaporator being disposed in the upper part of said cabinet adjacent said blower compartment whereby air introduced into said refrigeration compartment is required to flow in thermal exchange relationship with said evaporator on its way to said blower compartment.

10. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having a refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment in direct communication with the rear side of said refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment, a blower in said blower compartment, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said cabinet, said blower compartment having an air outlet adjacent its top for directing air to be conditioned upwardly, one of said panels being disposed adjacent the lower rear side of said cabinet whereby air may be introduced into said cabinet at a point below said blower compartment, said evaporator being disposed in the upper part of said cabinet adjacent said blower compartment whereby air introduced into said refrigeration compartment is required to flow in thermal exchange relationship with said evaporator on its way to said blower compartment, said refrigerating system including a motor-compressor unit and a water cooled condenser disposed in the lower portion of said refrigeration compartment.

11. A central air conditioning system for mounting in a basement or utility room comprising a cabinet having a refrigeration compartment and a blower compartment in direct communication with the rear side of said refrigeration compartment, a refrigerating system including an evaporator disposed in said refrigeration compartment, a blower in said blower compartment, said cabinet having a plurality of interchangeable panels, one of said panels having an opening formed therein for introducing air to be conditioned into said cabinet, said blower compartment having an air outlet adjacent its top for directing air to be conditioned upwardly, one of said panels being disposed adjacent the lower rear side of said cabinet whereby air may be introduced into said cabinet at a point below said blower compartment, said evaporator being disposed in the upper part of said cabinet adjacent said blower compartment whereby air introduced into said refrigeration compartment is required to flow in thermal exchange relationship with said evaporator on its way to said blower compartment, said refrigerating system including a motor-compressor unit and a water cooled condenser disposed in the lower portion of said refrigeration compartment, a condensate collecting pan disposed between said evaporator and said motor-compressor unit whereby condensate in said pan absorbs heat from said motor-compressor unit, and means for draining condensate water from said pan to the exterior of said cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,116,873 Williams May 10, 1938 2,286,491 Kucher June 16, 1942 

